What is the Difference Between OP and E1?

[Kemosabe]

i keep getting the OP error on my provari. im using a did clone, the vulcan. i got it all set up and working. then out of nowhere, without touching anything (just vaping it) i get the OP error. i was told that the coil had shorted.

i have rebuilt the coil and the same thing happens, OP. one time i got the E1, and another time i got the E8 while trying to rebuild. but for the most part, it cycles from a normal ohm reading to OP in varying intervals.

while looking at the provari website, i notice that E1 is the short code. an ECF member told me that Op is open current. what is the difference between OP and E1 regardign shorts. and more importantly, how do i eliminate them?

im at my wits end. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Thorbear]

OP is the code you get when you have nothing connected to the provari, so i have always read that as a dead atomizer.
Or in a rebuildable - a popped coil. strange that it goes back and forth between E1 and OP though, almost like one end of the kanthal isn't making good connection.

 

[gardnerd4me]

I had the OP error when I was first building my wick/coil for a did clone. It turned out the center post was being pushed up too far in the did clone. Made sure the top nut wasn't too tight and it went away.

 

[Kemosabe]

OP is the code you get when you have nothing connected to the provari, so i have always read that as a dead atomizer.
Or in a rebuildable - a popped coil. strange that it goes back and forth between E1 and OP though, almost like one end of the kanthal isn't making good connection.

does a popped coil actually pop, and break the wire in two? or does a popped coil just mean that its shorted and rendered usless?
i think i got what people refer to as a hot spot. one spot on my coil (near the top leg close to the very first revoultion of coil) was much brighter than the rest. is this coil salvagable, or is it a better expendature of time to just get to work on a new coil?
its hard for me to get any better at building coils seeing how the root of my problem is a mystery. im willing to do what it takes, but i just dont know wha tit is i need to do. its very difficult for me to learn when i just keep starting from scratch and not learning from my mistakes. i really wish i knew what my mistakes are.
i really appreciate your help guys. thanks for weighing in.

 

[Thorbear]

I'm very familiar with the uppermost coil having a hot spot myself. I've tried to work around it by nudging the other coils to get heat through them aswell, or twisting the wick a bit to solve it that way. I've also taken the wick out and given it another burn with my torch before trying to coil it again. I'm not confident in making them work everytime yet either, so I'm doing a bit of trial and error still.
I've used the term "popped coil" for a broken wire caused by a hot spot. In my case always the top coil.

 

[napdog]

RipTrirrers has a lot of youtube videos on wrapping coil. Very informative.

 

[Kemosabe]

good afternoon provari and RBA enthusiasts

im looking for a little more info on OP vs E1. does OP ever signify a short in your RBA or is it always E1 for a short?

i ask because i seem to get OP quite often, yet ive only gotten E1 once. lots of folks say im getting shorts but i figured id be gettign E1 if it were shorts i am getting.

basically, im trying to figure out the reason im getting OP. please help. thanks.

 

[Nuuze]

I was getting OP on my Provari/DiD clone. After about 5 coils and re-adjusting the center screw/shaft it was the tube the screw the top and bottom caps together for some reason. After a few turns back and fourth it works again.

 

[gardnerd4me]

good afternoon provari and RBA enthusiasts

im looking for a little more info on OP vs E1. does OP ever signify a short in your RBA or is it always E1 for a short?

i ask because i seem to get OP quite often, yet ive only gotten E1 once. lots of folks say im getting shorts but i figured id be gettign E1 if it were shorts i am getting.

basically, im trying to figure out the reason im getting OP. please help. thanks.

I'm not sure what the magic number is for determining OP/E1. Provari might know, but otherwise someone would have to test resistances to find out where it lies. I'm guessing that it's between .8Ω and 0Ω (probably right at 0Ω).

 

[brian5470]

OP is an open circuit (broken coil or center pin not connecting) E1 is a short or a resistance lower than the provari is designed to fire at set voltage.

 

[Kemosabe]

after much research and frustration, i have determined that the OP error was being caused by my center pole shorting* against the atomizer body.

for the longest time i thought it was my wick or coil. i kept ripping them out, trying again, and getting OP. finally i got the advice i was looking for: my DuD is made crappily (DuH!) and the center post insulator wasnt doing its job.

i added some electrical tape to insulate the center pole and VIOLA. no more OP.
apparelty its well known that DuDs have center pole issues.

the biggest problem with RBAs (for me) was not fixing the problem, its KNOWING what the problem is. and once again, i really have to hand it to ECF for putting me in touch with those who are in-the-know. couldnta done it without you guys!

*im not sure if this is the right usage of the term "short". short seems to be thrown around quite liberally and im not sure if this is techincally a short, or just an open circuit. (part of the reason i couldnt locate my problem)

 

[Cloud Wizard]

Short literally refers to a "short circuit" which includes any unwanted electrical path. They come in all shapes and sizes hotspots=shorts between coil wire and unoxidized wicks 9glows hot on the side of the short closest to a post), micro-shorts=current through wick touching another metal part of the tank, etc...

And someone asked if a "popped" coil literally means popped and the answer is yes. Both Nichrome and Kanthal wire will burn through if too hot and snap. That's one of the benefits of using thicker wire 30awg or 28awg but then you have to balance right to get a usable resistance (some 28awg 2/3 wraps are coming in 0.6-0.8 ohms)

 

[Kemosabe]

thanks CW. sweet avatar btw.